It is with heavy hearts that SuperTalk Mississippi Media shares that Lance Tolbert passed away Monday, July 27.
Tolbert was an integral part of STMM’s on-air staff, serving as producer of the statewide programs Mornings with Richard Cross, The Garden Mama Show, and The Handyman Show. He also produced the Mary Wieden & You Show on SuperTalk Jackson.
Tolbert, 51, was perhaps best known to listeners across Mississippi as the host of the Mississippi Farm Bureau High School Scoreboard Show. Each Friday night during the fall, he brought fans scores and highlights from around the state, shared the biggest storylines from the field, and interviewed players and coaches as host of the state’s longest-running high school football show.
He joined STMM in 2010 after working for SuperTalk North Mississippi in Oxford before relocating to the company’s headquarters in Jackson.
“Lance was a dedicated, creative, and hardworking person who genuinely loved SuperTalk and channeled that passion into every show he was involved in,” STMM President and CEO Kim Dillon said. “He was a beloved colleague and a wonderful friend to us all, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Before beginning his broadcasting career, Tolbert followed a career path that was anything but conventional. He worked in politics on Capitol Hill and as a statewide campaign field representative before moving into fundraising at the University of Mississippi.
In 2000, he served as director of sales, marketing, and finance for “The Majesty of Spain,” a landmark exhibition in Jackson that showcased more than 600 years of Spanish history, art, and culture through paintings, artifacts, tapestries, and royal treasures. The exhibition was organized by the Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange.
Tolbert later spent 14 years in the financial services industry as a wealth manager, broker, and vice president. He was also a licensed realtor and served as general manager and bar manager at The Chancellor’s House – now The Oliver Hotel – and Graduate Hotel in Oxford.
A native of Brandon, Tolbert graduated from Northwest Rankin High School before accepting a baseball scholarship at Auburn. He was a pitcher on the Tigers’ 1994 College World Series team before transferring to UAB and later Ole Miss. With the Rebels, Tolbert pitched during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, leading the team in both wins and earned run average each year.
Funeral arrangements are being finalized and will be announced at a later date.